{{Short description|Rugby league stadium in Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox venue | name = Ocean Protect Stadium | logo_image = | image = Wooloware Endeavour Field.JPG | image_size = 250px | location = [[Woolooware]], New South Wales, Australia | coordinates = {{coord|34|2|19|S|151|8|27|E|display=it}} | public_transit = {{TFNSW icon|T|0.08}} [[Woolooware railway station, Sydney|Woolooware]] | broke_ground = | opened = 1960 | closed = | demolished = | owner = [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland Rugby League Club]] | operator = Cronulla-Sutherland Rugby League Football Club | surface = Grass | architect = | construction_cost = | former_names = Pointsbet Stadium<br>Southern Cross Group Stadium<br>Remondis Stadium<br>Toyota Park<br>Ronson Field<br>Caltex Field<br>Shark Park<br>Sharks Stadium | tenants = [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks]] ([[National Rugby League|NRL]]) (1968–2019, 2022–present)<br> [[Olympic Sharks]] ([[National Soccer League|NSL]]) (2001–2003) | seating_capacity = 15,000 (reduced due to ongoing construction)<ref name="Sharks Stadium">{{cite web|url=https://www.sharks.com.au/the-stadium/sharks-stadium/|title=Sharks Stadium|website=sharks.com.au|accessdate=26 July 2025}}</ref><br>22,000 (1968–2019) | record_attendance = 22,302 – Sharks vs [[St George Illawarra Dragons|St George Illawarra]], 2004 }} [[File:Shark Park front.jpg|thumb|Endeavour Field from the front.]] '''Endeavour Field'''<ref name="Sharks Stadium">{{cite web|url=https://www.sharks.com.au/the-stadium/sharks-stadium/|title=Sharks Stadium|website=sharks.com.au|accessdate=26 July 2025}}</ref>, currently known as Ocean Protect Stadium under a naming rights agreement<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2025/11/25/sharks-announce-ocean-protect-as-landmark-stadium-partner/|title=Sharks announce Ocean Protect as landmark stadium partner|website=sharks.com.au|date=25 November 2025|access-date=25 November 2025}}</ref>, is a [[rugby league]] stadium in the southern [[Sydney]] suburb of [[Woolooware]], New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Cronulla Sharks Rugby League Club, which represents the [[Cronulla, New South Wales|Cronulla]] and [[Sutherland Shire]] areas in the [[National Rugby League]] competition. The Sharks are as of 2023 just one of two professional sporting clubs in Australia (excluding the [[Australian Football League]]'s ownership of [[Docklands Stadium]]) that own and operate their home ground (alongside the [[Dolphins (NRL)|Dolphins]] via their parent club [[Redcliffe Dolphins|Redcliffe]] who compete in the [[Queensland Rugby League|QRL]] with their home ground, [[Dolphin Stadium (Brisbane)|Kayo Stadium]]) as well as [[Western United FC|Western United]]'s future home ground [[Wyndham City Stadium]]. The [[Sharkies Leagues Club]] sits beside the stadium.
==History== The stadium was built in 1966 and currently has a capacity of 20,000. The first match to be played at the ground came on the 30 June 1968 where Cronulla-Sutherland defeated [[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]] 10-7.<ref name=Austadiums>{{cite web|url=http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=126 |title=Sharks Stadium | Austadiums |publisher=Austadiums.com |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>
In 1991 the original western grandstand was demolished and the new Endeavour Stand was built in its place for the 1992 season.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Ashley |title=This week in history: Sharks unveil Endeavour Stand |url=https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2024/04/24/this-week-in-history-sharks-unveil-endeavour-stand/ |website=Cronulla Sharks |date=24 April 2024 |publisher=NRL |access-date=15 May 2024}}</ref>
The [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland Rugby League Club]] owns the stadium as well as the adjacent Leagues Club, one of only two [[National Rugby League|NRL]] clubs to own its own stadium. State government authorities and local councils generally own sporting venues in Australia.
On 21 April 2006 the Federal Government announced a [[Australian dollar|A$]]9.6 million grant to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks to upgrade the stadium. The upgrade included a new covered stand to seat over 1,500 spectators at the southern end. The new stand was completed in time for the 2008 season.
Renovations were also planned for the ET Stand (originally the Endeavour Stand), named for Cronulla club legend [[Andrew Ettingshausen]], and the Peter Burns Stand.
As of June 2020 the Leagues Club was undergoing redevelopment, with the Leagues Club closing its operations on 15 December 2019,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sharkies.com.au/sharks-shut-down-marks-the-end-of-an-era/|title=Sharks Shut Down Marks The End of an Era|website=Sharkies|date=12 December 2019 |access-date=6 June 2020}}</ref> with the facility originally due to reopen in early 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sharkies.com.au/leagues-club-development-and-latest-update/|title=Leagues Club Development And Further Updates|website=Sharkies|date=29 April 2020 |access-date=6 June 2020}}</ref> Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] impacting construction timelines at the Leagues Club site, the completion date has been delayed to early 2023,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2020/08/21/development-update-sharks-forging-ahead/|title=Development Update: Sharks forging ahead|website=sharks.com.au|date=21 August 2020 |access-date=23 August 2020}}</ref> but Cronulla returned to playing home games at the stadium in 2022 with a temporary capacity of 12,000 in place until mid-2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2021/11/09/sharks-to-face-eels-in-pointsbet-homecoming/|title=Sharks to face Eels in PointsBet homecoming|website=sharks.com.au|date=9 November 2021 |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref> Further delays in construction resulted in a new completion date of mid-2024 announced in July 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theleader.com.au/story/8278524/indefinite-delay-to-sharks-leagues-club-opening-averted-after-meetings/?cs=1507|title=Sharks Leagues Club at Woolooware opening target of mid-2024 achievable after hurdles cleared|website=St George and Sutherland Shire Leader|date=23 July 2023|access-date=16 August 2023}}</ref>
==Ground usage==
===Rugby league=== In the [[NRL]] competition, the [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks]] team has been playing at this venue since midway through the [[1968 NSWRFL season]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://afltables.com/rl/venues/endeavour_gm.html|title=Rugby League Tables / Endeavour / All Games|website=afltables.com|access-date=2019-09-25}}</ref> which was the club's second season into the competition (they had previously played at [[Sutherland Oval]] from 1967 until 1968).
High turnout in crowd numbers are usual when Cronulla play local-derby rivals, the [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]]. The ground attendance record is 22,302, which was set when Cronulla took on St. George in May 2004. The biggest victory Cronulla has recorded at the ground came on the 21 August 2005 against rivals [[Manly Sea Eagles|Manly]] where Cronulla won 68-6.
In late 2017, the ground hosted the [[2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup]] tournament. It played host to the group stages and semi-finals matches.
During the [[2019 NRL season]], it was announced that the ground and the Cronulla leagues club would be undergoing renovations and as a result Cronulla revealed that for the next two years that they would be playing home matches away from their spiritual home with [[Kogarah Oval]], [[WIN Stadium]] and the new [[Western Sydney Stadium]] as new temporary home grounds.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-04/cronulla-sharks-home-ground-closes-for-renovations/11478458/|title=Cronulla Sharks coach pleads with fans to stick by club during Sharks Park renovations|newspaper=ABC News|date=4 September 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sharks.com.au/news/2019/07/31/sharks-statement---development-update/|title=Sharks Statement - Development Update|website=Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|date=31 July 2019 }}</ref>
In the early 2020s, Shark Park came under scrutiny by fans and the media due to the fact the venue hosted finals matches despite its limited capacity and alleged poor facilities. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo stated in September 2025 that the NRL would be reviewing their finals venue policy saying "We haven't changed or reviewed the home finals policy for a while, and I think we're due for that, In this particular case, you have two Sydney teams [on Saturday], and you want as many fans as possible enjoying it live. The players enjoy that, and so do the fans. We need to focus on our fans and the fan experience. There comes a time you need to consider a minimum standard, potentially for finals, that might be above the regular season – the time is right to have a good, close look at it".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news-2025-finals-stadium-poicy-andrew-abdo-review-shark-park-suitability-fixtures-venues-20250908-p5mted.html/|title='I think we're due': NRL review could stop Cronulla from hosting finals at dilapidated Shark Park|website=www.nine.com.au}}</ref>
===Soccer=== The [[Sydney Olympic FC]] club played at the ground for two seasons, from 2001 until 2003, in the former [[National Soccer League]].
==Naming rights== The ground has had numerous naming rights deals. Names of this ground over the years have been: * Endeavour Field * Ronson Field * Caltex Field * Shark Park * Toyota Park * Toyota Stadium * Remondis Stadium * Southern Cross Group Stadium * PointsBet Stadium * Ocean Protect Stadium
== Gallery == <gallery> Image:Sharkies Leagues Club Sign.JPG|Sharkies Leagues Club Sign Image:Sharkies Leagues Club.JPG|Sharkies Leagues Club Entrance File:Toyota Stadium, Woolooware, New South Wales (2010-07-19) 03.jpg|Exterior of main stand</gallery>
==See also== * [[Toyota (disambiguation)#Sports arenas|List of sports venues with the name Toyota]]
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks}} {{NRL Grounds}}
[[Category:1960 establishments in Australia]] [[Category:Rugby league stadiums in Australia]] [[Category:Sports venues in Sydney]] [[Category:Sports venues completed in 1960]] [[Category:Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks]]